Etch-A-Sketch Coming to PC and Mac

[fitbabits]

So on one hand we have Epic's Mark Rein grumbling about consoles stifling development on the PC (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums//showthread.php?t=33421), yet on the other hand, we have an official announcement (via press release) that a version of Etch-A-Sketch is coming for both PC and Mac.

You can read the press release after the break (and it's a beezer), but before then, here's a picture of what you can achieve with an actual Etch-A-Sketch:

http://drawn.ca/wordpress/wp-content/images/etchasketch.jpg

!!!

[fitbabits]

As promised, the press release:

HYDERABAD, India, July 30, 2007: Gameshastra, India's largest game services provider has signed a Master Game Development Agreement with Freeze Tag, a California based casual game publisher and developer. Gameshastra will develop and Freeze Tag will publish "Etch A Sketch®," a new game inspired by the classic toy from The Ohio Art Company. Under the terms of the agreement, Gameshastra will develop PC, Web, and Mac versions of the game, as well as any future versions for platforms such as Xbox 360 Live Arcade and Nintendo Wii.

Craig Holland, CEO of Freeze Tag says, "We have worked with many offshore developers, and Game Shastra is the first company that has truly 'exported' US game development expertise and management to its offshore operation, while still maintaining a US onshore staff in key developer roles. Gameshastra’s talented and experienced management team and competitive pricing were attractive features, but the main reason we picked Gameshastra to develop our high-value licenses was simply the opportunity to work with a really great game development team."

Prakash Ahuja, CEO, of Gameshastra, says "We think Freeze Tag as a publisher has great vision for identifying good titles. It has chosen some very exciting and unique licenses that we hope to develop jointly under this partnership." Ahuja continues, "This agreement with Freeze Tag reiterates our position as a leading global game services provider for both Core and Casual games."

Gameshastra's worldwide customer base has been expanding rapidly as it offers richer, faster and more efficient game services to game publishers globally. "At Gameshastra we provide a very flexible project environment for our customers for game development, game art and game testing in a single location which is very difficult to pull off on-shore, besides offering competitive development costs leading to shorter development timelines and higher quality products," Bjorn Book-Larsson, CTO and VP of Game Development, Gameshastra, said. "Our presence in Los Angeles provides quick response to our customers, and keeps us tightly integrated throughout the entire project."

[Pigeon]

"I'm gonna go draw boobs on the Etch-a-sketch!"
"Fine! They always come out square!"

[Kamalot]

Between this, and the Wham-O announcement, it sounds like we will be reliving the last 30 years of toys in the form of games. Can't wait till someone makes a Slip-N-Slide for DS. ;)

[51|RandoM]

You can read the press release after the break (and it's a beezer), but before then, here's a picture of what you can achieve with an actual Etch-A-Sketch:

You've drastically overestimated my etch-a-sketch abilities.

Unless I can come by and accidentally bump the monitor of anybody running this program, it just won't be etch-a-sketch.

[mkelehan]

They've already got one of these. It's called MS Paint.

[Chimpbot]

...What the hell is the point of this? It doesn't need to be made into a game!


No one needs a virtual Etch-A-Sketch!

[fitbabits]

You've drastically overestimated my etch-a-sketch abilities.

Unless I can come by and accidentally bump the monitor of anybody running this program, it just won't be etch-a-sketch.

Oooh, now there's a fascinating concept! Imagine if there was a little dongle you placed on your monitor which could detect vibration and movement? Bumping it while "playing" E-A-S would result in the sketch getting utterly scoobied - just like real life.

[bKangy]

Haha awesome! What an idea.

[51|RandoM]

...What the hell is the point of this? It doesn't need to be made into a game!

Nostalgia = $$$$$$

[Serapth]

That drawing would have taken like 900 hours to make on an echasketch. Hell, the paint program in Forza 2 is about 1000 times more capable then an etchasketch.

[Klunka]

How amusing will it be when this game comes out and is more expensive than an actual etch-a-sketch?

[UnderHero5]

This is, honestly, one of the dumbest things I've ever seen come out of gaming.

I think we're at the point where the developers are seriously running out of good ideas.
I'm not even joking, this makes me sad for gaming. Some one needs to get punched in the face for this idea.

[kid cabelgo]

http://www.corporatedump.com/etchsketch.html

Did they think that it hasn't been done before?

[AboveAvgCharles]

Do you have to pick up your monitor and shake it to start a new level?

[TheDancinMan]

I don't care what you guys think, the story mode on this is gonna be killer.

[AboveAvgCharles]

I heard this is DX10 only.

[51|RandoM]

Just add a multiplayer mode, along the lines of QIX (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qix).

[violentp]

This is the stupidest fucking idea I ever heard.

[Tabasco]

This is just so incredibly silly. I mean people are suckers for nostalgia, but who the hell is actually going to buy this?

[LongStepMantis]

Next time a game that really interests me gets canceled or rushed out the door with too many bugs to make it fun, I'll remember that this title managed to make it...somehow...ok, seriously, WTF!?
Etch-a-sketch is boring to use a REAL one. So how is this interesting again?

And as far as MS paint being close...nope. MS Paint is loaded with options compared to this. Hell, it even has COLOR.

[KingGorilla]

Vista exclusive? Finally a reason to upgrade.

[Sazime]

The most amazing thing about this to me? The sketch used to promote is one of a BBall player who retired almost 10 years ago (right? Just about?). Earlier today I saw a girl who couldn't have been older than 16 wearing a #23 jersey. The guy is still that big of a star. Pretty amazing.

[ElectricMonk]

couldn't this be done as a java applet by some 16 year old kid in a day?

[Johan]

here's a picture of what you can achieve with an actual Etch-A-Sketch:

That's not a manually achieved image. No way. Can't be.

[violentp]

That's not a manually achieved image. No way. Can't be.

That would be an affirmative.

[fitbabits]

That would be an affirmative.

Actually, it really is real!

[Disgustipated]

They've already got one of these. It's called MS Paint.

Agreed.

QFT and shit.